**Trigger Warning – the first paragraph of this article may be very upsetting to read **
Many year’s ago when the children were younger, we were on holiday in the UK enjoying our last day at the seaside. We spent the afternoon on the pier going on the rides and having lots of fun. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a group of people rushing to look over the side of the pier and left the children with my Mum whilst I went to see what they were looking at – for all I knew it could have been a seal or something exciting. It wasn’t. My blood ran cold to see two boys struggling to stay afloat in the water. Moments before the Lifeguards arrived, one boy disappeared under the water, sadly only one boy was rescued. That memory has haunted me for years and it makes me nervous when we go on holiday as we do love to spend our time by the seaside and all my children are water babies.
I always make sure that I reiterate water safety to the children every time we go to the sea and they all have swimming lessons, including water safety. I think it’s important that we teach water safety to children as early as possible in an age appropriate way because fun can turn to danger in the blink of an eye.
The Big Seaside Rescue
A delightful new children’s book, designed to be personalised so that young readers can become the heroes of an exciting rescue story, is now available for purchase. All profits from this book will support the lifesaving work of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The Big Seaside Rescue unfolds during a sunny seaside holiday, featuring toy lifeboats and meticulously built sandcastles. The story takes an adventurous turn when Rudolph the Reindeer, enjoying his summer holiday, encounters danger in the sea. RNLI beach lifeguards rush to his aid, assisted by a very special child who is at the center of the story.
Each book can be customised with the child’s name, gender, and skin tone, making it a unique and memorable gift. The charming tale also includes crucial water safety information, teaching young readers how to stay safe at the beach this summer.
Written by RNLI’s Content Editor Rory Stamp and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Hannah Lawson, this book marks their second collaboration for the RNLI. Their previous work, The Big Christmas Rescue, was read by over 23,000 children and won Best Children’s Publication at the 2024 Cultural Enterprises Awards.
“It was wonderful to collaborate with the RNLI again, especially imagining what Rudolph looks like on his summer holiday. There’s an important water safety message that I hope will resonate with all readers as they head to the beach.”
Hannah Lawson
The Malvern-based illustrator, who was shortlisted for the Portsmouth Book Award in 2012 for her book The Lost Stars, has also written and illustrated two other books, The Cloud and The Red Boat.
The Big Seaside Rescue is priced at £20.00 and is available for purchase online at shop.RNLI.org/SummerRescue.
Last year, RNLI Lifeguards responded to 14,213 incidents across the UK and Channel Islands, saved 86 lives, and assisted 19,979 people.